125| Dr. Mary Healy on the Holy Spirit and Parish Renewal: Moving from Maintenance to Mission

In this episode, Biblical scholar Dr. Mary Healy pours into pastors and parish leaders on cultivating a personal relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and how that relationship drives parish renewal. She shares how Confirmation is meant to “perpetuate the grace of Pentecost,” why many never experience its full fruit, and how leaders can move parishes from maintenance to mission. From preaching that majors on the mighty deeds of God to creating safe spaces for charisms (prophecy, healing, discernment), Dr. Healy offers practical steps, stories, and a powerful prayer of impartation for listeners. Key Takeaways: Model friendship with the Holy Spirit. Share concrete, current examples (“Here’s how the Spirit prompted me this week…”). Pray—and pause. Begin meetings: “Come, Holy Spirit,” then leave actual silence for Him to move. Reframe preaching. Major on what God has done—the Gospel’s power—then invite a clear response. Teach charisms. Offer a talk/workshop or short homily series; explain gifts and how they build up the Church. Create safe practice spaces. Praise & worship/adoration nights with guided discernment; small groups that read Scripture (esp. 1 Cor 12–14) and practice gifts. Plan light-touch evangelization. Send parishioners out two-by-two to pray with people who are open; debrief and celebrate fruit. Choose on-fire leaders for key ministries. Especially OCIA—place radiant, prayerful disciples where seekers first land. Guard the team’s heart. Bring complaints to the Lord, end in praise, practice daily forgiveness, and ask to see people as He sees them. Connect with Dr. Healy: https://www.drmaryhealy.com/ Books by Dr. Healy Healing: Bringing the Gift of God’s Mercy to the World: https://a.co/d/dIPSXUA The Spiritual Gifts Handbook: Using Your Gifts to Build the Kingdom: https://a.co/d/9kYFZ4I The Gospel of Mark Commentary: https://a.co/d/e0tu15D Hebrews Commentary: https://a.co/d/e2Hdf16 Chapters: 00:00 – Welcome & intro to Dr. Mary Healy 02:25 – Knowing the Holy Spirit personally 03:33 – Confirmation & Acts 8: origins and obstacles 05:27 – Pentecost power (Acts 2): joy, boldness, gifts 06:55 – From striving to yielding: ending “white-knuckle” faith 10:31 – Pastors as witnesses; moving hearts, not just minds 13:38 – How to open meetings to the Spirit (pray, then pause) 16:06 – Learning to recognize the Lord’s voice; “God winks” 21:22 – Charisms: teaching, testing, practicing in parish life 24:05 – Small groups that exercise and discern gifts 25:13 – Evangelization two-by-two; stories from the field 30:18 – Luke 10: authority over the enemy; Jesus rejoices 35:26 – Preaching: indicative vs. imperative 39:30 – Staffing key roles with radiant disciples (OCIA) 41:33 – Deepening your interior life as a leader 46:46 – Prayer of impartation for listeners Rate, Review, & Follow us wherever you listen to podcasts! “I love the Rebuilt Podcast! It’s helping my parish make strides in parish renewal!” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us support more people just like you, take steps towards parish renewal and making disciples. Be sure to give us 5 stars, write a review and share what you loved most about the episode! https://www.rebuiltparish.com/ facebook.com/rebuiltparish instagram.com/rebuiltparish   / rebuilt-parish      / @rebuiltparish